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Yielded Obedience
By: Pastor Neal Gordon
One of my favorite outdoor activities is taking a hike. There is something about quietly walking through the woods, just listening to the birds and watching for wildlife that is very relaxing. I remember when our kids were younger, we went to the Smokies and hiked an eight-mile trek that was 4 miles of gaining elevation to see a waterfall and then 4 miles of descending to complete it. I think we were all happy when that trail was done. I have been on several hikes, Dominic and I for our 25th anniversary went to the Red River Gorge for a few days and on one of those days completed a long trail.
If you like to hike you soon discover that there is no way anyone can complete all the trails that there are. In fact, to hike a trail, you have to say no to other trails. You spread out your maps, or get info from the internet and make decisions about what trails you want to do and think you can actually complete.
Life is like taking a hike. You cannot walk two directions at once. One trail at a time in one direction. To chose a trail or direction is to say no to the other options. To follow the trail that Jesus blazed is to say no to all other options and walk in one direction, His direction.
Peter and his brother Andrew, after encountering Jesus, “Immediately…left their nets and followed Him” (Matt. 4:20). They made a decision about what their life was going to be about and the direction it would be headed. Such a very simple statement, yet with profound implications. They understood they could not follow Jesus without leaving something behind. They also understood following Jesus meant that Jesus would be charting the direction of their life’s course.
Real followers of Christ, as opposed to those who are just cultural Christians, understand this too. To follow Jesus is to forsake our own agendas and our own direction and yield our will to Him. We are to love Him, and in that love to find the place of yielded obedience to His will being lived out through us. To follow Jesus means someone besides me is charting the course.
I pray this week that what was said about Andrew and Peter can be said about us. We left everything to follow Him.
God Bless,
Bro. Neal
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If you have prayer or practical needs that we can help you with during this time. Please call us. Office 270.692.3112 or Text Ashley at 270.940.0913.
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AUG 8 @ 10 AM PRAYER WALK- Meet at the church to organize and head out to pray for our city.
AUG 16 & 23 @ 5:30 PM SMALL GROUP LEADERSHIP TRAINING
AUG 4 @ 7 PM CONNECTIONS GROWTH TRACK CLASS 1 Sign-ups in the coffee bar.
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